Taste of Me
by OperaGoose
Summary: "The only thing you'll get is this curse on your lips: I hope they taste of me, forever." High School AU. It's senior year, time for parties and hook ups. And if he ever needs a willing hand, Axel's always there - his friend with benefits. That's all. Main AkuRoku. Side SoRiKai, some RokuNami. M for implied sexual content. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

Axel's lips were warm and chapped and familiar. The breath mingling with his, when lips parted to invite his tongue to join the fray, tasted like smoke and too much jalapeño salsa. They parted and the redhead pulled back, giving him a wicked smirk with a playful spark dancing in cat-green eyes. "Your turn to spin the bottle."

Naminé, the rather shy younger girl who was hosting the party, blushed and stammered: "I was going to say you could spin again, Axel. 'Cause you landed on a boy."

Kairi, her older sister, laughed and patted her shoulder. "That's not how they play."

Axel snorted. "And you didn't _have_ to make out with Olette during Seven Minutes In Heaven last weekend, Kairi. But you still did."

She blushed and threw popcorn at him - the lanky redhead darted to the side to catch it in his mouth before settling onto the cushion beside Roxas comfortably.

Roxas leaned forward and spun the empty bottle. He watched it spin until it stopped, pointing halfway between Naminé and Kairi. He raised his eyebrows and watched as his friend grinned and nudged her sister. "You're in."

The blonde flashed and gave Roxas a shy look. He gave her a smirk - borrowed almost directly from Axel's face - and crawled across the circle to kiss her.

Her lips were soft and sticky with some kind of flavoured gloss. He pressed closer to deepen the kiss, give her a real taste, but she was shy and pulled back. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and she brought her fingers to her mouth. "My lips are tingling."

"Should I take that as a compliment?" He asked, confused by her comment. It wasn't the _strangest_ thing he'd heard after a kiss - but it was the strangest after a kiss with anyone other than Axel.

"No." He held her lips tighter, eyes beginning to water. "They burn!"

"Jalapeño salsa," he said with realization.

She got up to go to the bathroom.

"I thought only Axel ate that stuff," Kairi commented, amused

"He ate some earlier," Riku said with a snicker.

"Poor Naminé," Kairi agreed, chuckling. "I better go check on my baby sis." She gave Sora a quick kiss and stood, heading after her sister.

Roxas moved back to his seat, humming in surprize when he saw Axel's spot empty. "Hothead go for a smoke?"

"Most likely," Riku said. He picked up his beer bottle and took a swig. "Spin the Bottle died," he declared, getting to his feet. "I'm gonna go play poker."

"Count me in," Roxas said, standing up too. "Sora?"

"Yeah."

They found Axel already at the table with Luxord, but they were at blackjack. There was a lack of chairs and Roxas had no issue perching on Axel's knee. "Deal us in," he told the gambler.

Axel's hand came up to hold his hips, keeping him in place. But something about it felt odd. He shifted to look back at the redhead as the bleach-blond dealt them all their cards. "Everything okay?"

"It's fine," Axel replied.

"Ou sure?" Roxas asked, squinting at him suspiciously.

"Of course," he replied, rolling his eyes. "What makes you think otherwise?"

"You're not grabbing his ass like usual," Riku pointed out. "Hit me."

That was it. Axel's hand usually cupped further underneath him to hold him steady.

"Aw, I'm sorry," Axel said, in his usual playfully flirtatious tone. "It's those new jeans, baby. If I touch your ass, you know I won't stop until I'm balls deep."

Roxas snorted. Loudly. "Please."

"Which one of you _does_ top?" Riku asked, tossing a couple chips onto the table.

Sora snorted. Loudly. Just like his cousin. "Please. You don't play Never Have I Ever with Axel enough. He's never _had_ his V-Card punched."

"I could have," Axel sulked.

"In the last _week_?" Sora asked, disbelieving.

"Of course you haven't," Roxas said, "you would've texted me after."

Axel took a swig of his diet coke. "You know I'm saving myself for you, Rox."

They all laughed.

There was a few rounds of blackjack, then a couple hands of poker. From the other room, the giggled and shocked gasps of Truth or Dare were obvious.

After Axel lost all his chips to Luxord, he tapped Roxas's thigh. "Up you get - I'm going to have a smoke."

"I'll come with," Roxas volunteered. He shoved his pile of chips at Sora and stood. "I'm going to lose in the next round anyway."

"You're always welcome by my side, Rox," he replied, puckering his lips at him.

Roxas laughed and shoved his face away. "Come on loser. Let's go blacken your lungs again." He walked away from the card table, knowing Axel was only steps behind him at most.


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as he heard Axel approaching, Roxas lifted his lunch off his legs. A minute later, a head full of red spikes settled in his lap. "Hey, Axel," he greeted. "You're late. Class run over?"

"Had a meeting with Principal Ansem," he complained. He dug an antique cigarette case out of his pocket and pulled one of the self-rolled tubes out. He lit it up and greedily sucked in the first lungful of smoke.

"Sounds serious," Roxas said worriedly. His free hand went into the mane of crimson spikes, tugging wayward hairs back into place. "Bad stuff?"

"Just a warning about my grades, credit points, graduating. All that shit." He took another deep drag. "Let's not talk about it. Where's our resident threesome?"

"They went to get Fro-Yo. Probably be back any minute." The blond scrunched up his trash from lunch and shoved it back in his schoolbag. "Why don't we talk about Friday night instead?"

A faint smile crossed Axel's lips. "Our eighteenth birthday. Is Sora planning anything special? Or just our usual Birthday Beach Bonfire?"

"I don't know," Roxas admitted. "I love our birthday parties, but it's a big milestone. Maybe we _should_ do something special for it."

Cat-green eyes opened, looking up at him with burning intensity. A tongue slipped out to dampen chapped lips. "What did you have in mind?"

"Maybe that old beach house?" He suggested, one finger absently twirling a bit of crimson hair around his finger.

"Yeah? On Destiny Island?" The redhead asked, exhaling smoke with every word.

"Mm. That cute rustic place," he confirmed, smiling, "with the paopu palms and overlooking the ocean as far as the eye can see."

Axel inhaled the last of his smoke and stubbed out the butt. "I'll call. Make sure it's all fine."

"Cool!" Roxas said, grinning. "I'll tell Sora and Kairi, and they can get to work organizing everything for the big party."

Axel sat up on one knobbly elbow as he tossed the butt towards the nearby trashcan, a frown on his face. "Right. A big party. For our birthday."

Roxas felt his eyebrows pulled down in a confused frown. "Well. Yeah. That's what we were talking about. Our birthday party."

"No, of course we were." He lay back down in Roxas's lap with a deep sigh. "Go back to playing with my hair, Roxas."

The blond did, obediently.


	3. Chapter 3

"So we got beer, boxed wine, cheap whiskey, tequila, and all the vodka cruisers twenty teenage girls can drink in one night. Sora and Riku will be by later with the pizzas, and your jalapeño salsa Axel."

"I don't think I even _know_ twenty teenage girls," Axel complained, wrinkling his nose at the stack of drinks.

"You know me," Kairi replied, rolling her eyes. "And Larxene, and Olette - and my sister, Naminé, you know her."

Axel glared at her. "Why the hell is your sixteen year old sister doing at an eighteenth birthday party?" He asked.

"Well," she said, mixing up a bowl of dip, "she asked to come. She's totally crushing on you, Roxas."

He looked up from the oven. "Huh?" He hadn't been listening to the chatter.

"You remember. Pretty, blonde - you nearly burned her lips off with third-hand jalapeño salsa?" Kairi asked, a little bit annoyed on the behalf of her sister. But before she could scold him for forgetting her sister like some drunken hook-up, she broke off. She frowned over the top of Roxas's head. "Axel. Why are you locking the alcohol in the pantry?"

"Because you, Riku, me and Axel are the only people of-age," Roxas explained, as if it was obvious. Which it should have been. Kairi had been friends with Axel at least as long as the rest of them had.

" _Axel,_ " she sighed, rolling her eyes, "it's a high school party. A _senior_ party. On an island far away from anyone's parents. People are _going_ to drink; and hook up in every room of the house. Stop being such a stick in the mud and have _have fun_ for once."

"I regularly have fun at parties," he grumbled, locking the padlock. "Riku will have the key. He's in charge of taking car keys and distributing the drinks over the night so people don't get alcohol poisoning in the first hour." He gave her a look, then turned to give Roxas an intense eye. "I'm going to go enjoy my birthday. If you need me, I'll be at the bonfire."

"Okay." Roxas watched the redhead go, then turned his attention back to Kairi. "Kai, you know better than to push him about this - on today of all days."

She roller her eyes at him. "Please. He was grumpy as soon as he heard Naminé was coming."

"Well. You gotta admit it's a bit weird you invited your sophomore sister to our party."

"She's a junior," she corrected, rolling her eyes. Then her expression became rather sly. "It wouldn't be weird if she was your _girlfriend_."

He spluttered. "Kairi, what the hell? Spin the Bottle last weekend, now bringing her to our birthday party just to shove her at me? Does she have blackmail on you or something?"

"No, it's not like that," she replied. "She likes you. I thought you might like her too. It's not like you haven't dated girls before."

"That's does not mean I'm going to jump into bed with your little sister!"

"You better fucking not. If you use her like that I'll kick your ass, friends or not." She gave him a hard look.

"Good, then it's not going to be a thing."

"I'm just saying!" she said, holding up both her hands. "Why _not_ Nam? You two _did_ get married when you were kids."

"We were _five_."

"Look, just… dance with her tonight. Talk with her a bit. Spend some time getting to know her. Nobody's expecting anything, Roxas." She gave him a long, serious look. "Besides, it's not like you're involved with anyone else at the moment. Right?"

He sighed, grabbing the oven mitts. If any of their best friends had been here - Sora _or_ Riku or even Axel - someone would have spared him this awkwardness by joking that he and Axel were all but actually married to each other.

But they weren't. So it was just him.

"Ughhhh. Kairi, you're the worst." He took out the breadsticks from the oven. They were Axel's favourite brand, and the familiar smell of warm butter and garlic teased his nose like a fond memory. "Fine. I'll dance with her. But no expectations, right?"

She smiled. "Of course." The doorbell rang and she grinned. "Looks like the party's starting!"


	4. Chapter 4

He tucked into a familiar neck, inhaling the scent buried there. Everything was spinny and bubbly - Kairi had called him a happy drunk as she poured him another drink. He kissed the thrumming pulse underneath his lips and smiled at the familiar moan.

"Roxas." An arm wrapped around his waist. "Shouldn't you be enjoying your guests?"

" _Our_ guests," Roxs replied. He punctuated the correction with a lick along the sensitive artery of his neck. Skin, smoke and clean soap.

Axel moaned. "We're all aware none of these people are here for me." He clenched his hand in Roxas's shirt - he fet the warmth of the fire on the bare skin of his lower back.

"Most of them are gone now." Roxas shifted, settling in his lap. The body underneath him was skinny and hard, but deliciously warm. "It's the usual gang now. Kairi sent me to get you for cake." He felt a hand in his hair, tugging him away from Axel. Only far back enough they could look into each other's smile. He gave a warm smile at his friend's well-known features. "Hi."

The redhead frowned at him. "Rox. You've been drinking?" It wasn't exactly _surprise_ in his accented, drawling voice - but somewhere between resignation and disappointment.

He giggled, reaching up to dig his fingers in the crispy red locks, digging it in the spikes until he felt the softness of ungelled hair. "Just a little bit. 'Cause I'm eighteen now."

Axel gave a heavy sigh and shifted him off. "Come on. You said something about cake?"

"Cake!" he stood, steadying himself on the broad shoulders.

They were surprisingly wide for the rest of his skinny body and the sharp contrast of his almost skeletal ribs and waist. Which he knew Axel was self-conscious of, and tried to cover up by _always gesturing_ with his arms and hands.

Those hands reached up now to hold his hips, keeping them still. "Whoa. Careful."

It took a moment longer for the ground to stop wobbling. As he waited, he looked down at his best friend and didn't stop the thought from bubbling out of his mouth: "You're, like, the perfect height to suck my dick right now."

Axel looked up him, "Roxas…" His expression was unreadable, and he couldn't get his eyes to focus long enough on green eyes to read them.

"We could do blowjobs," he pointed out. "Don't you ever get bored of dry-humping and jerking each other."

"No," Axel's voice was just as guarded as his face. "Do you?"

"Sometimes," Roxas admitted. He touched Axel's lips, gliding fingers across his bottom lip to pull it up slightly at the corner. "It's the damn smirk. Makes me remember what it's like to press into something _hot and wet._ "

Axel sighed in disappointment as he stood, a head and shoulders taller than Roxas. The blond looked up at him, his face swaying slightly against the twinkling stars and the sparks from the fire leaping upwards. "It's not what we do. You go to other people for other stuff. More."

Roxas fiddled with the v-neck of the soft woollen sweater the redhead was wearing. It was _so soft_. Softer than anything Roxas owned. Other than that old band shirt he'd stolen from Axel. "Are you worried you won't be any good at it, Axe?" He asked. "You know I'll teach you." He pressed closer, swiping his tongue over the exposed collar bone. "I'm a good teacher." He raised his face to Axel's so he could give him a grin. "Remember when I taught you to finger yourself?"

"Fuck, Roxas," Axel groaned, distressed. He took the blond's shoulders and pressed him back a little, getting some distance between their bodies. "You're drunk. You know I can't take anything you say seriously."

"Fine," Roxas huffed. He pouted up at him to try and sway his resolve. "I'll just have to ask you again tomorrow."

Axel gave a soft chuckle and cupped his face, a thumb gently stroking his cheekbone. "Please do."


	5. Chapter 5

Roxas woke up, pulse thumping aggressively in his head, a feeling and taste in his mouth like something had crawled in there overnight and died. He groaned and felt the bed beside him shift. It caused a sick twist in his stomach and an acidic rolling sensation. "Axe, I'm going to puke," he announced.

He felt a soft hand on his forehead. Two small and cold to belong to Axel. He cracked one eye open, though the light stabbed him directly through the skull, and saw Naminé leaning over him looking concerned.

He roughly jerked away from her, tumbled out of the bed and rushed to the nearest bathroom.

At least he was _dressed_ , he thought, resting his head on cool porcelain ten minutes later. Kairi would rip his dick off he thought he'd had a casual fuck with her precious little sister.

The door cracked open and Naminé stepped in. She was carrying a bottle of water and some toast. "How are you feeling?" She asked in a soft, concerned voice.

"Like hell," he grumbled. He took the water, but ignored the dry plate of toast. "What happened last night?" He groaned, rubbing his stomach as it twisted from the water. "I don't remember."

She gave him a beaming smile. "After we had cake, we all sat around the bonfire. You and me had a really long, all-night conversation. Then when the sun rose, we came up here and fell asleep."

Oh man. Kairi was probably gloating somewhere in the house.

"What time is it?" He asked, instead any of the other fifty questions floating through his head.

"Just after one," she explained. "Drink your water."

After his stomach stopped protesting, and Sora had stuck his head in to tell Naminé to give him an Advil, he headed back downstairs. He was disconcerted to find she was insisting on holding his hand the whole way. Like they were a couple already.

They got to the kitchen, and Roxas's eyes were immediately drawn to Axel. The redhead was dressed comfortably for the day, in another black sweater and a pair of loose sweatpants - he raised his eyebrows pointedly at their clasped hands, but said nothing. The others were sitting around the kitchen island, looking almost as bad as Roxas felt.

There was an almost universal groan of relief as Axel put a large platter of bacon and eggs and hashbrowns down on the countertop. Roxas felt queasy just at the sight of it, but Sora patted his shoulder. "Trust us. You'll want to eat."

Funnily enough, he did after the food had settled comfortably in his stomach. Naminé _finally_ let him go - only after Kairi dragged her with the others to go clean up the house.

Roxas came up behind Axel, who was making coffee. "Hey. You're not mad at me, are you?"

The answer was obviously yes, because Axel continued mixing his drink instead of turning to hug him close. "Why would I be mad at you, Roxas?"

"For drinking last night?" He hinted, looking up at him and getting a faceful of red hair. Already straightened and gelled into place. How long had Axel been _awake_ for already?

"Oh, that." A shoulder rose up and dropped back down. "I mean, I'm not happy about it," he conceded, "but you weren't driving, and it was your eighteenth birthday. No, I'm not mad at you."

Roxas wrinkled his nose slightly. "I was probably super drunk, sorry." He stole the coffee from Axel and took a grateful gulp. "I don't remember what happened last night? Did I… flirt with Naminé?"

The pale jawline clenched, green eyes narrowing as he stole the coffee back without his usual playfulness. "Yeah. It was almost embarrassing the way she was throwing her little heart at you. Thought you weren't interested in her?"

He gave a little shrug. "I don't know. She's kinda cute."

Axel just scoffed and downed the rest of his coffee. "You really don't remember anything about last night?" He asked. There was something intense, expectant in his eyes.

"Uh…" He tried to remember, he really did. "I remember daring Hayner to do a strip tease over Truth or Dare or Shot?" He ventured.

Axel just gave a long tired sigh. "Right." He reached up, rubbing a hand through the hair at the back of his head, avoiding his eyes. "Anyway. You want your birthday present yet?"

Roxas perked up eagerly. "You got me a present?"

"Two, actually," Axel said, shrugging and going to the living room. He unlocked the safe on the desk and handed him a box. "One for now, one for a couple months away."

Curious, Roxas tugged the ribbon off and lifted the lid on its stiff hinges. There was a watch nestled into a white cushion, made of black metal and a fake-leather strap. Then tucked in the lid were two tickets. Concert tickets. "Watery Illusion at the Olympus Coliseum?" He gaped, his jaw dropping. "Axe, this concert's been sold out for _months_."

The redhead shrugged. "I called in a favour."

Roxas squinted at him. He never knew anything about his best friend's ' _favours_ ' or ' _connections_ ' or ' _contacts_ ' - but he figured they were pretty shady and he didn't ask questions he was afraid of the answers to. He leaned up and hugged Axel tightly, pressing their lips together. He tasted like coffee and bacon.

Axel pulled away and wrinkled his nose a bit. "Maybe brush your teeth before you go around frenching people, hm?" He said playfully.

"Sorry," he said, embarrassed. He took the watch out, but Axel was quickly plucking it from his hands.

His hands were warm as they closed the watch around his wrist, carefully buckling the strap. "Happy birthday, Roxas."

"Thanks, Axel." He smiled up at him, warmth and content spreading through his chest. "I didn't get you anything…" he realised, disappointed.

Axel just shrugged. "You know I don't like presents, Rox." He tucked a bit of blond hair behind the smaller teen's ear.

Before Roxas could do anything more than open his mouth to reply, Kairi and Naminé came back in, carrying bags.

"Our parents are here to pick us up!" Kairi announced. "Enjoy your weekend, boys!" She began to push her little sister out of the house.

Not quick enough. Naminé turned back to beam at Roxas. "See you on Sunday, Roxie! Call me to sort out the details of our date!"

There was a tense atmosphere in the room as Kairi tugged the door shut behind them both.

"...date?"

Roxas turned back to Axel, whose expression was too closed to read. Even his eyes were guarded. "Uh… I don't remember that part either?"

Axel rolled his eyes and yawned. "Well. I'm going to go take a nap. Wake me before Sora starts dinner and sets fire to the kitchen."

"Axe…" Roxas trailed off. Axel didn't stop, walking straight out of the room and going upstairs.

Had he done something wrong?


	6. Chapter 6

Roxas let himself into Axel's apartment. Well, technically his uncle's apartment - not that Roxas had ever met the guy. His best friend wasn't in the messy living room or the pristine kitchen, or smoking on the balcony, so headed straight into the bedroom.

Axel glanced up as he came in the bedroom door. He was sprawled on his single bed, pale skin flushed with blood, making him splotchy pink in places. Shirtless, the only item of clothing he was wearing were soft sweatpants, yanked down to his knees. One hand was wrapped around his long, skinny cock - rock hard and already dripping with fluid.

Roxas grinned. "Were you expecting me?"

Axel made a soft ' _haah_ ' noise and resumed his slow, intense pumping motion. "No, but get over here anyway."

Roxas unzipped his jeans and tugged them off, stepping out of them as he made his way over to the bed. There wasn't _really_ room for them both on the bed, but that only meant their bodies were pressed deliciously close. He pushed Axel's hand away, and took over the task at hand himself.

The redhead's Macbook was open at the end of the bed, and Roxas caught a glimpse of a facebook photo post before one of Axel's long feet closed the lid as he arched into Roxas's touch.

Roxas finished him off quickly, not sure how long he'd been going for before he arrived. Then he cleaned his hand off in the closet of a bathroom connected to Axel's room.

When he came back, Axel was dressed back in his sweatpants again, Macbook balanced lazily on one knee. Roxas settled next to him, peering at the screen. "Oh, hey. Are they Pence's pics from the party?" He asked, resting his head on Axel's sweat-slicked chest.

"Yeah," the redhead said, his voice lazy and content. Like always, post-orgasm. "You should look at them, might jog your memory about the night."

"Oh god, what did you find?"

The lips turned up in a smug smirk. "Hayner isn't the only one who did a striptease playing Truth or Dare."

Roxas hid his scarlet blush in Axel's arm. "Why are there _photos_?"

"There's a _video_ ," the redhead corrected.

"I can never look at Pence ever again," he complained.

Axel snorted. "It's not like you _don't_ get naked regularly on the weekend," he teased. His hand shifted down, rubbing Roxas's half-hard dick through his boxers. "Want me to take care of you? That's what you came over for, right?"

"Mm," he arched into the familiar touch. "No, but since when have I ever said no to you?"

Axel's hands were warm - almost too hot against the sensitive skin under his boxers. But they settled around his erection and it was warm and right. He settled into the usual steady stroking motion. "Did you need something else then?" He asked.

Roxas nudged his head aside with his nose, burying his face in the crook of Axel's neck. His hips rocked up into Axel's grip, and he panted against the warm skin. "Came to use your - ah, yesss like that - use your wifi."

He only got a hum in response to that. The deep voice rumbled through Roxas's lips and he gasped.

The redhead didn't tease him for long.

Roxas clung to him a few moments as he came down, then sat up so Axel could go clean his hand. He tugged Axel's Macbook closer, opening a new tab. "Where's your uncle?" He asked, lying on his stomach as he pecked letters into the google search.

"Working," Axel replied, flushing the toilet and coming back out.

His uncle was _always_ working. Roxas and Sora thought the man probably worked three jobs to keep them afloat. Their apartment was in a slowly gentrifying neighbourhood, but it was _nice_. Axel never had lunch at school, but he always had cash to spare for the weekend - and fuel in his beat up old project car.

Axel settled back on the bed against the headboard, trapping Roxas against the wall with his long, lanky body. "What're you looking up?"

"Movie times," he answered, scrolling through the cinema page. "I'm taking Naminé to the cinema tonight."

There was an odd silence that followed his comment. When he glanced back at Axel, the redhead wasn't looking at him as he pulled on a shirt from the bedpost.

"What?"

"Nothing." He settled back down, grabbing his cigarette case and slipping a white stick out. He lit it up and took a deep breath of the smoke. "Kairi bully you into taking her on that date you promised?"

"She might've texted to remind me," Roxas replied, returning his attention back to the screen. "I don't suppose Naminé will want to see _Zombie Werewolves From Jupiter Ⅲ_ , do you?"

Axel huffed. "You said you'd go see that with me," he said sulkily.

"Yeah. You're right, I did." He grunted and scrolled past it. "I suppose I could take her to the new _Midknight_ movie," he said with distaste.

"Whatever," Axel said, taking a deep breath. "It's a date isn't it? She'll want to see something shitty and romantic right that."

"What's romantic about vampires?" Roxas muttered, taking out his phone to text Naminé and organise the time to meet her there.

He sat up after and groaned. "Going already?" Axel asked, roving his eyes over Roxas's body.

"Yeah." He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to the chapped lips before he exhaled. He hummed with interest. "New blend?"

"Mm. Ran out of Paopu." Axel exhaled, the smoke curling around them as he kissed him deeply. "Enjoy your shitty movie."

"See you at school tomorrow, Axe."


	7. Chapter 7

The usual group was gathered under the trees - Axel hadn't joined them yet, but Naminé was tucked up beside him. She was eagerly telling Olette about their date and the movie they'd seen. Roxas had tuned out somewhere around the book-to-movie comparison.

Sure, he'd had a nice enough time with Naminé. But she seemed to think there was more to their relationship than what they had so far. They'd been on one date, and she seemed to think she was his girlfriend. Hell, he'd gone to how many movies with Axel? He hadn't even kissed her yet.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Axel appeared. He immediately settled down with his head on Roxas's lap. The blond let go of Naminé's hand so he could eat with it, the other one going to stroke through the red spikes. They weren't gelled down together, but the feeling was clearly hairspray.

"You okay, Axe?" He asked, scratching his nails lightly against the scalp.

The redhead relaxed, eyes falling closed. "Yeah. I'll be fine." Eyes still closed, he took out his cigarette case and lit up. He'd obviously restocked the usual blend, since the smoke that wafted towards Roxas was the usual smell.

He stroked his hair a little longer, smiling down at the redhead - but they both stiffened when there was a small, pointed cough next to him.

Roxas glanced over at Naminé, frowning slightly. Axel opened one eye and tilted his head back to look at her. "Yes?" He drawled.

"Do you mind?" She asked, giving him a look.

"Nobody else minds," he replied, before taking another drag.

Her nose wrinkled and she coughed again. "Second-hand smoke is really dangerous."

Axel fixed Roxas with a look that clearly conveyed the ' _are you hearing this_?' that was going through his head.

"It's not tobacco," Roxas explained, uncomfortable. "He uses his own sawdust and herb blend. It's just as safe as smoking meat…"

Naminé's expression clenched slightly with something Roxas didn't know how to figure out. "You're taking his side?"

"Nam," Kairi interrupted, impatient. "Nobody else has a problem with it but you. If you wanna sit with the group, you'll have to get used to it."

"But…"

"Naminé."

The blond huffed and, throwing her sister a look, she grabbed up her lunch and walked away.

Once she was safely away, Axel huffed out a stream of smoke. "Your girlfriend's really annoying," he told Roxas.

The blond huffed. "We've been on _one_ date."

"Tell _her_ that."


	8. Chapter 8

Roxas woke up, tucked under the blankets. He knew from the smell instantly that it was Axel's bed. He opened his eyes, flicking them about the room until they settled on his best friend.

Axel was leaning against the wall, looking out the window. He was wearing in a thin black shirt and a pair of pinstripe trousers. His hair was smoothed back and tied in a neat, round bun.

"You're dressed already," Roxas said, wriggling free from the blanket cocoon.

"I've been up a while," he replied. He probably hadn't slept at all. "You can sleep a little longer. Marluxia doesn't open until nine anyway."

"I'm okay." Roxas sat up, patting the side of the mattress. "Hey. Come here."

Axel sighed heavily and pushed himself off the wall. His steps were weary as he crossed to sit on the edge of the bed. Roxas pulled him into a gently kiss. He tasted like minty toothpaste - he hadn't even smoked this morning. Roxas didn't press for anything more. Today of all days, Axel wasn't in the mood for sex. "I'm gonna be here for you, Axel. All day."

He gave a small, sad smile. "Thanks Rox." He gave him a soft, brief kiss. "Why don't you shower? We'll grab breakfast out."

After breakfast - though Roxas was the only one who ate - they headed across town to the rich people district, and the fancy florist. Roxas had asked once why he didn't go somewhere less overpriced - and was calmly informed that nobody else grew the flowers he needed.

Roxas hated the place. Rich, fancy places were always 'minimalistic' - which was a fancy person code word for clinically sterile white, big and as empty as possible. Normal florists were bursting with all kinds of flowers, in bunches you could pick up and buy. Marluxia's Garden was evenly dispersed with single flowers in thin glass tube vases. If you wanted anything, you had to place an order and hope the pink-haired guy liked your request enough to want to fulfil it.

Marluxia himself didn't even deign in man the desk. Axel had to ring a tinkling silver bell before he even appeared behind the counter. "Ah, Mr Lea," he greeted. His voice was so deep and masculine for his feminine appearance.

He always called Axel that. Sometimes Roxas straight up forgot Axel had a last name, until someone in a shop called him Mr Lea.

"Marluxia," the redhead greeted. "I'm here to pick up my order."

"As usual." The man disappeared behind the door again, giving Roxas a distrustful look. While he was gone, Roxas but a smudgy fingerprint on the back of a couple of the vases. Serve him right. "Thirteen fire lilies. Paid in full."

They were already in a glass vase, with soft peat moss to keep the stalks damp for longer. Axel took them in a careful hand, thanked Marluxia and led Roxas out.

Roxas's phone buzzed, and he took it out to glance at.

"Something important?" Axel asked, as he opened the door of his car.

"Naminé," he answered. Of course. Everyone else knew he was unavailable on this day.

The redhead's expression was carefully guarded. "What does she want?" He asked, carefully securing the flowers on the backseat.

"She's asking me what we're doing today." She was so pushy. He hadn't even suggested hanging out today. He knew he would be busy all day.

Axel's lips pursed as he slipped into the driver's seat. "You don't have to come with me, you know," he said in a sulking tone voice. "If you'd rather spend time with your girlfriend."

"Axe," Roxas said, leaning close to him. "You're my best friend. You come first. Mates before dates, right?"

Axel gave a tired sigh and didn't say anything about it. He only commented "put your seatbelt on" and turned the engine on.

They didn't talk much on the drive, they never did. Roxas plugged his phone into the cassette player and played their ' _Axas Playlist_ '. There was a lot of Watery Illusion songs, which was only increasing as they got closer to the concert next weekend.

Roxas buzzed repeatedly - first short with texts from Naminé, then longer patterns as she rang.

"Roxas," Axel growled. "If that phone buzzes one more time I'm throwing it out the window."

Roxas laughed. But two minutes later, when it began to ring again, Axel snatched it out of his lap. He tugged out the sim card, then threw the entire phone out the window. "Axel!" he screeched in horror, watching the cord snap and the phone smash on the side of the highway.

"I'll buy you a new one," he replied.

"My dickpicks were on that!"

"You backed it up _last night_ ," Axel replied.

Roxas tried to stay angry at his best friend. But it was more peaceful without the phone buzzing every couple minutes. Though they didn't have music, he and Axel sung instead. The redhead was a little pitchy, but very enthusiastic.

He fell quiet when they reached the next town. His expression became guarded as he closed himself off. It was a lot quieter in Radiant Garden. The houses were big and even the apartment buildings were quiet and neat. It was a placid town.

Axel didn't stop, driving back out of the main city to the suburbs. He took a side street and only parked beside a field of green grass. They both got out, silent and respectful as, fire lilies in hand, Axel led their was down a well-kept path.

They eventually stopped and Roxas stood back as Axel moved forward. He knelt down, arranging the flowers in front of a round stone monolith. The orange and yellow lilies underlined five words:

 _Reno & Elena Lea. Loving parents. _

The petals obscured the date, but Roxas knew it anyway. August 31st, just a couple weeks after Axel's seventh birthday.

Axel sat down and made himself comfortable, whispering: "hey Mom and Dad."


	9. Chapter 9

Roxas dozed off on the drive back, without any music to keep them company. He woke as the lights of Twilight Town sunk through his closed eyes. They hadn't stopped for food, but Axel took him through the McDonald's drive thru before making his way back to Roxas's house.

"You need to eat, Axe," Roxas pointed out, concerned.

He shrugged. "My uncle is taking me out to a late dinner." Roxas doubted that. Only the really fancy places on the other side of town were open late on Sundays, and Axel wouldn't be caught dead in one of those places, even if his uncle could afford to take him to one. But if Axel didn't want to eat, you couldn't force him to. Roxas knew that first hand.

Axel parked outside the small townhouse Roxas lived in with his family: his dad, Sora and his parents, Sora's little sister Xion. Ven had lived there too, before he went away to college. Roxas liked to joke with his cousin that the reason he had a boyfriend _and_ a girlfriend was so he always had somewhere to escape the house even if he was having a fight with one of them - Sora retaliated by joking that Roxas paid off Axel in orgasms to let him stay in an apartment that the redhead practically lived in alone.

The windows were lit up, and there was talk and laughter inside. It was such a sharp contrast to the quiet, sombre tone of the rest of the day. "You sure you don't wanna come in?"

"No way," Axel laughed. "Go home, Rox. I'll bring your new phone to school tomorrow."

"Mm, okay." He leaned forward to kiss him softly. He must've gotten coffee at some point during the drive. Roxas could taste it lingering in his breath. He parted just slightly, giving him a smile. "See you tom-"

He didn't get to finish. A shocked "what the fuck?!" sounded behind them.

Axel shifted his head to look and groaned. "Evening, Naminé."

Crap. He turned to give Naminé an easy smile. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

She looked mad. "Apparently I'm watching my boyfriend cheat on me with his trashy best friend!"

"Cheat?" Roxas echoed, confused, just as Axel cried an outraged: " _Trashy_?"

"Well what else do you call it when your boyfriend ignores you the whole day and then makes out with someone else?" She snapped.

Axel raised his eyebrow. He gave Roxas a look that clearly said: ' _you better go deal with this_.'

Roxas groaned. He grabbed his bag of food and stood out of the car, not saying a final goodbye to Axel. It would only get Naminé even more angry. As it was, her glare followed the faded red old car as it drove away and turned a street out of sight.

"Nam," Roxas said quietly. "Can you c-"

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down, Roxas!" she said impatiently. "I've been calling all day! I was **worried** about you. You couldn't even text me and say you were spending the day with Axel."

"Everybody knows I spend today with Axel," he replied. "You could've just asked Kairi. She would've told you I was with him."

"Sunday is our date day! You spent it with _him_ instead, you…you… You cheater!"

"It's not cheating," Roxas defended himself at a mumble. "We never agreed to be exclusive. You just asked me to be your boyfriend."

She silently fumed for a minute, her hands clenched. "You and my sister and all your friends are so fucked up!" she hissed. "How can none of you freaks understand that when you're someone's boyfriend or girlfriend you're committed to that _one_ person and you don't cheat on them with anyone!"

Roxas gave a tired sigh. Sometimes it hit him strongly that she was two years younger than him. They might as well be ten, since she was acting like a child who was being asked to share her toys. "Naminé. I get you're mad. But don't be nasty."

" _Nasty_?" She repeated angrily. " **You're** nasty!"

"It's not my fault you assumed being my girlfriend meant that I was only going to do stuff with you." He folded his arms. "You should've told me if you didn't want me hooking up with anyone else."

"I asked you to be my _boyfriend_! That's exactly what that means!" she snapped, folding her arms as well.

"I just told you it doesn't!" Roxas replied, losing his temper.

"Don't you **dare** yell at me, Roxas!"

"You're yelling at _me_!" A long, angry silence settled down. Had he been this annoying when he was sixteen? But she was right, he shouldn't have lost his temper. "...I'm sorry."

"Oh, Roxie." She threw himself into his arms. "I forgive you."

Was she serious? Just like that? "...what?"

"We can sort this out," she was continuing, relieved. "You just have to stop cheating on me, and we'll work out fine."

He wasn't… He gave a heavy sigh. "Nam," he said carefully. "I'm not sure being exclusive is going to work for me. You know? All you want to do is kiss, and I need more than that."

There was that angry look on her face again. "You jerk! Suddenly I'm not good enough for you because I'm not **easy** like Axel?"

" _Easy_?" Roxas echoed, half-laughing. Absolutely no one in their group would call _Axel_ easy. He was the only virgin, the _least_ easy out of all of them.

"Are you **laughing** at me?" She demanded.

He sighed. He didn't want to set her off again. "Look. Why don't we try for a bit? Being _exclusive_."

There was a slight pout. "We were supposed to be already. But okay. Thank you, Roxas."

Thank fuck that was over. He offered her a quick kiss. "Come on. Why don't you come inside?"


	10. Chapter 10

"Oh man, Watery Illusion is great live!" Roxas was saying eagerly to Sora. "Ienzo - he's the bass guitarist - said they're planning to do a smaller-venue tour next year. I told him to come to Twilight Town. Wouldn't that be fantastic?"

Sora chuckled. "I swear, he's been on a high all week from that concert," he informed the rest of their friends, gathered around a circle on Kairi's living room floor.

Naminé, tucked under Roxas's arm, gave him a quick kiss. "I'm glad you had fun," she said. "It's a shame we both couldn't go," she continued.

"That concert was sold out for months," Kairi told her sister, sounding a little annoyed. "I told you. In fact, I don't even know how you got tickets, Axel."

"He ' _called in a favour_ '," Roxas answered for his best friend, wriggling his eyebrows. "Oh man - you should've seen it though. Axel got us in backstage. We walked up to the bouncer, and went like we were going to walk straight past them. Axel did that thing - you know the 'I'm so important' thing -" The group laughed. They all know what he meant by that. "And then when the bouncer grabbed his arm, he just said in that voice: _excuse me? Don't you know who the fuck I am_? And I fucking swear - the guy looked like he was about to be _fired_! He just let us go straight in!"

The group was laughing. Well. Not Naminé. She was looking Axel over as the redhead himself came in, carrying a six-pack of glass coke bottles. "I don't see how anyone could think such a slob was a Very Important Person."

Axel didn't even skip a beat. He settled down next Roxas, as he smoothly said: "it's all about the attitude." He opened two bottles and handed one to Roxas. "So, what are we playing? Truth or dare?"

"Eh, too lazy for dares," Sora said, leaning against Riku tiredly. "Never Have I Ever?"

Everyone took up that idea, though Roxas could feel Naminé shifting uncomfortably beside him. He knew she didn't like hearing about all the stuff they did - especially when player was her boyfriend, and another was her older sister. But she didn't leave, staying put where she was.

The dares did not even start out tame. Hayner kicked off with "Never have I ever been fucked in the ass" and the game went off with almost everyone drinking - except Axel and Olette.

Naminé, who purposefully not playing, looked horrified at her sister. " _Kairi_?"

She rolled her eyes. "If you don't want to know, don't hang around, Naminé." Then, since she was next to Hayner, "never have I ever got off in the library."

" _Kairi_!" Selphie shrieked, "I told you that in _confidence_!" To which the group laughed and a number of players drank to it.

The game continued in much the same way, a lot of laughter, purposeful sabotage, too much drinking, and Naminé's continually growing horror.

At least until the game came to a screeching halt. Everybody in the group knew the answers - and if someone suddenly had to drank when they hadn't for that question before, it was was never met with much more than some high-fiving or a ' _finally!'_ or two. Until…

"Never have I ever," Wakka declared, "had another person's penis in my mouth."

The group booed him playfully, but one by one they all fell into a stunned silence. Roxas, who was sipping his coke, noticed the attention was on their side of the room. Not Naminé, she wasn't playing.

He glanced aside at Axel, and made a surprised noise when he realised the redhead was finishing his own drink. " _What_?" He asked, shocked.

It broke the silence, and Axel was getting the usual congratulations. But then, Sora's voice cut through. "Wait, why are _you_ surprised, Roxas? Wasn't it _your dick_?"

The room fell silent again at that, everyone looking between Roxas and Axel in surprise. "No it wasn't," Roxas said grumpily. "Axe you didn't even _tell_ me."

He shrugged. "No big deal."

"You popped your _mouth_ cherry!" Roxas replied back, "You lost your blowjob virginity!"

One broad shoulder lifted and dropped back down. "Well, not the whole virginity."

"Dude! He didn't even blow you in return?" Sora commiserated, grimacing a little.

"Come on, who was it?" Olette asked, looking at him with curiosity.

Axel gave a sinful smirk, looking at her over the top of his bottle. "Never have I ever given a celebrity a blowjob," he replied, then very obviously drank to his own question.

She shrieked in surprise. "Emyd? You sucked _Emyd Shirabe_ 's dick?"

A couple of the others started complaining about how loud she was, but Roxas couldn't pay attention. He was picturing Emyd, the lazy smirk and carefree personality, lazing about on the couch in the dressing room. And how he and Axel had lazily waved them off when Ienzo offered to show Roxas the tour map in the green room.

Fuck, that's when they'd done it, wasn't it? When Axel got on his knees for that stupid, mullet-head and let him in his mouth.

He stood up, realising it was too abrupt - Naminé gave him an annoyed look, and several others looked surprised. "Gotta piss," he lied and stalked off towards the stairs to go upstairs to the bathroom.

Somehow he wasn't even surprised when Axel slipped into the bathroom after him, standing arms folded against the door. "What's up, Roxas?" He asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Emyd Shirabe, Axel? What, don't you have any _standards_?" He sneered.

"Emyd's cute," he replied, shrugging. "Is that what you're pissy about? 'Cause you really shouldn't talk, you're dating Naminé Weis. She's one hundred times more annoying than Emyd.

"Fuck off!" Roxas snapped. He wasn't even sure why he was mad any more. He just couldn't stop _picturing_ it and it was pissing off more and more with every second. "Obviously you didn't even want me to know, because you couldn't tell _me_ before the entire fucking room!"

"Well I was going to!" Axel snapped back. "But as soon as we got back to the hotel you just had to call _Naminé_ and tell her every minute detail!"

"Oh my god, this has nothing to do with her!" Roxas snarled. "Why do you have to bring her up every time we fucking talk?"

"Because you do nothing but spend time with her now!" he growled. "You even brought her to Zombie Werewolves Three! And then you had to stop watching every thirty seconds to explain the plot since she'd never seen it before!"

"She's my _girlfriend_!"

"I'm well aware!"

They glared at each other in silence, chests heaving with breath. Axel was all splotchy with anger around his neck, fists clenched at his sides. Roxas kind of wanted to make out with him right there against the door. The last time he'd seen Axel this worked up was after a particularly good frottage session before he and Naminé had become exclusive.

He was so goddamn horny. And Axel's hand was way better than his own.

He turned quickly and splashed his face with water.

Axel snorted in disgust and opened the door. "I'm going home."

"Your our designated driver!" Roxas reminded him angrily.

"I'll leave you my keys. I want a walk anyway." He slammed the bathroom door behind him and walked away.


	11. Chapter 11

Roxas had never really thought he was particularly needy. But it was two months since he agreed to be exclusive with Naminé, and he thought he was going to die of blue balls any day was jerking off at least twice a day, but he was still going crazy with it. He _missed_ having another person touch him.

Naminé was sweet but painfully innocent - she held his hand and gave him soft, fruit-flavoured kisses. But even if he _was_ the type of guy to pressure people into sex, he wouldn't push her. He didn't think of her in that kind of way. Not to mention Kairi would murder him for it.

But holy _shit_ did he want to fuck someone.

"Roxas!" Naminé complained, tugging on his tie for attention. "Were you evening _listening_?"

"Huh? Sorry. No." He blinked to clear his mind. "Were you still talking about Halloween?"

She huffed. "Yes." She straightened his tie and smoothed it back down his chest with one hand. "It's on Sunday. Riku is hosting Sora's haunted house and party at his place. So you're fine with us doing matching costumes?"

"Eh. Sure. Saves me getting one for myself." He stretched his arms and legs, feeling really pent up. "Axel, are you driving us?"

The redhead looked up from Riku's lap. He'd stopped lying on Roxas during lunch after Naminé had 'developed' a cough that his smoking triggered. They'd been sort of distant lately. Roxas missed him, but even when Naminé wasn't scheduling all his attention, Axel never seemed to want to hang out.

The redhead stubbed out his smoke. "Yeah. Okay. I'm picking up Kairi, anyway." The smoke from his lungs wafted over on his words as he spoke.

He shouldn't have gotten a stiffy over it. But he did. It was so familiar, unbearably sensual. The smell was an enticing reminder of sweaty summer kisses, the taste of Axel's favourite blend lingering on his lips.

Naminé's pointed cough snapped him out of it. He shifted. "That's cool, right Nam? Axel can pick you up from her place." He hadn't actually asked her before he'd checked with the guy.

"Yeah, that's fine." She didn't seem to want to yell at him about it anyway. He was glad that they didn't fight about it. He wanted the two of them to start getting along so he could hang out with Axel more often.

He _missed_ his best friend. Not just their screwing around, though he definitely missed that too. He missed just _spending time with him_ : hanging out, their inside jokes, making fun of stupid stuff together, liking the same stuff.

The bell rang for classes and, once Naminé was wandering off with some other sophomores, Roxas hurried to catch up with the redhead. "Hey! Axe! Wait up!"

As he fell into step beside him, Axel glanced down, surprised. "Roxas. Did you need something?"

He reached up to punch one skinny arm. "Jerk! I can't even say hi any more without having an agenda?"

The redhead shrugged. "You haven't exactly been Mr 'Mates Before Dates' lately," he answered, rubbing the hair at the back of his head. "I've missed you, Roxas."

Roxas reached up, squeezing his arm and giving him a big smile. "I've missed you too, Axel. Nam's been organising all this stuff for us lately. But she's got plans Saturday - I think she's shopping with friends, or something."

Axel's eyes twitched up slightly. "Right."

"Don't be like that. I was going to ask if you wanna come over and have the Zombie Werewolves Marathon?"

"Well," Axel drawled. "It _is_ our yearly tradition. I suppose I can. Since you've deigned to give me some free time when your girlfriend is busy."

He punched his arm again. "How generous!" He shook his head, amused. "Saturday?"

"Mm. Do you want to come to mine instead? My uncle's at a conference in Disney Town all weekend. Saves us from trying to hear over your family and keeping Xion away from the Too Scary For Kids movie."

"...yeah. I'd like that." He smiled. "Sora and Riku too?"

"Would they ever miss it."

Roxas beamed. "Sweet. I'll talk to Sora. Noon, Saturday?"

"Mhm. I'll have popcorn ready."

He hugged his arm and stepped away, heading towards his class.

"Oh, and Roxas?" Axel called after him. Once he was facing his best friend again, Axel continued: "we should do stuff more often, okay? Dates _before_ mates, not ' _instead of'_ , yeah?"

Without waiting for Roxas to reply, Axel strode off down the hallway, long legs making a fast pace away.


	12. Chapter 12

Roxas knocked on the Weis' front door, waiting for Naminé and Kairi to open up so they could go to the party. Axel was parked in the driveway, having his last smoke before the girls got in the car to complain about the smell. Not that Kairi would be complaining.

The door opened to their father. Roxas smiled politely and nodded. "Evening, DiZ." Ansem Weis, known by almost everyone who knew him as DiZ, was looking down at Roxas with a cool expression. He'd really changed around him since h started dating Naminé. Father's protective instincts, he guessed. It's not like the guy didn't know what his eldest daughter's friends were like.

"You may come inside," he invited. "Naminé is getting ready. She said to tell you she has your costume."

He waved at Axel to show he was going inside, and stepped through the door. Nobody expected the invitation to extend to the redhead. DiZ liked him even less than Roxas at the moment.

Roxas followed the sound of Naminé's favourite band upstairs to the girls' bathroom. Kairi rolled her eyes as soon as she spotted him. "Oh thank fuck you're here," she said, getting to her feet. Whatever she was actually wearing as a costume was covered under a pink coat. "I'm going to wait in the car with Axel."

She swept past him and he knocked on the doorframe of the bathroom. "Nam? It's me."

"Roxas~!" she greeted happily. She was very carefully arranging her hair, dressed in white body-tight clothes. "Your costume is on the back of the door."

He stepped in to grab it and gave a very confused look. It was some kind of… onesie. With cat ears. "Uh… Naminé?"

"Go on and change in Kairi's room!" she said, doing something with a hair straightener and tucking a lock of hair in place beside her neck. "I'll be done in a minute!"

She was actually closer to five minutes, and when she came to join him in the hallway, he couldn't actually see any difference in when he'd left her. He didn't understand girl's hair styles. They spent ages on it only to have it look exactly the same - Axel may take an hour to set his hair, but at least Roxas could tell the difference once he was done.

She disappeared into her bedroom for a moment, then when she reappeared she was wearing a copy of his own weird onesie. There hadn't been a mistake then, this was actually what she had been planning for them both to wear. How embarrassing.

He cleared his throat. "Ready to go? Your sister is already waiting in the car."

She linked her arm through his, smiling at him happily as she led him downstairs. DiZ was waiting for them at the front door. "It's a school night," he reminded them sternly, "so Naminé, absolutely _no drinking_." He turned his glare on Roxas. "She is to be back by 10:30pm or I will send the police to Riku's place."

"Yes sir," he said.

He couldn't help but feel a little relieved. He didn't want to spend the whole night with her. Not to mention, any later than that and his friends would start other activities she'd only been uncomfortable. Not that _he_ could participate any more, but he still didn't want her there.

"Oh my god," she said as they approached the car. "He really drives this piece of shit? Is it even _drive worthy_?"

"Evening to you, Naminé," Axel said, rolling his eyes. He petted the dashboard. "It's okay, Eight. She doesn't know."

"It's like fifty years old!" she protested, not wanting to get in.

"She's forty-two," Axel replied, "and she's vintage."

"It's a _death trap_!" she snapped, stomping one foot.

"You could always _walk_ to Riku's," Axel replied, his temper practically smoking. One hand twitched, as if he wanted to rub it through his own hair - but it was in one of his sleek, neat buns again and that would only make a mess. "I'm leaving," he announced, eyes settling on Roxas instead of Naminé. "Are you in or out?"

Roxas shrugged and got in the car. The blonde was furious, but she climbed into the backseat beside him.

"What's _your_ costume supposed to be, anyway?" She sneered at Axel. "Respectable Person? That makes a change."

He glanced at her in the rearview mirror, arching one eyebrow. "Well, I was going to go as a Frigid Bitch, but I see you already took that."

Kairi made no effort to stop her amused laugh from the passenger seat, and Roxas snorted in laughter. Naminé looked absolutely outraged, her eyes filling with tears. She whirled on Roxas. "You're just going to let him talk to me like that?"

"I don't _control_ him, Nam," Roxas argued, rolling his eyes.

"I'm your _girlfriend_!"

He sighed and, leaning forward, flicked Axel in the ear. "Don't call my girlfriend a bitch." He settled back and looked at her. "Better?"

"You're such a clueless asshole, Roxas!" she said. She was crying now, reaching up to wipe away her blackened tears with a handkerchief.

He sat awkwardly, glancing at Kairi for help. She was giving him a grim expression and just shook her head.

He gave a sigh and slumped down in his seat. This was going to be a _long_ night.


	13. Chapter 13

Kairi took her sister off to the bathroom as soon as they arrived at Riku's place. Roxas climbed over into the front of the car while Axel looked for a place to park that was sheltered and out of sight.

"So, where's your costume? You wearing it under your clothes?" He asked teasingly.

Axel smirked at him. "It's inside. I dropped it off at Riku's earlier. You'll just have to wait like everyone else."

"Looking forward to it." And he was. Axel always had the most over dramatic costumes. Last year he'd gone as Marie Antoinette, with his own hair up in that weird tall hair style, and wearing little more than french lace and fake pearls.

"Shouldn't you be going after your girlfriend?" Axel asked, turning the engine off. He lit up a smoke before climbing out. "She was pretty upset."

"Kairi went with her." He shrugged. "Besides, shouldn't you be apologising?"

"She's not my friend, I don't gotta do shit," Axel scoffed, before taking a long drag. "She started it anyway."

"You can't insult everyone who says shit about your car, Axe. It's forty years old and still makes that clunky engine noise."

"I'm waiting for a part," he dismissed. "And it wasn't _just_ the car."

Roxas was silent, enjoying the scent of the smoke. "Cinnamon?" He guessed.

"Practically a pumpkin spice latte," Axel replied. He offered him the smoke. "You want?"

He shouldn't. Naminé would hate it. But it did smell good, and Axel _never_ offered him a smoke. He took it carefully between his thumb and forefinger, just like Axel did, and brought it up to his mouth. He knew how to smoke - had the occasional cigarette at parties since he was fourteen. He was no expert, like Axel, but he didn't hack up a lung on the first draw.

It really did taste like a pumpkin spice latte, he thought as he considered the flavour. It reminded him of last Halloween, reaching under lacy skirts and touching Axel's dick for the first time.

"It's our anniversary," he announced, surprised.

Axel rolled his eyes at him. "Anniversaries are for boyfriends, Roxas," he replied. "But yes. It's been a whole year since we first hooked up. When you officially destroyed our lifelong friendship."

"Destroyed?" Roxas asked, a sick feeling sinking in his stomach at the word choice. "We're still friends, Axe."

"Mm. We are," he replied. "But we weren't simple friends after that, were we? And it's not like we can exactly just go back to what we were like before we were screwing around. I know what your come tastes like mixed with your sweat, _I_ can't pretend like I just don't."

Roxas swallowed. Axel was right, of course he was. But he sounded so final. "Axe…"

The redhead shrugged, climbing out of the car at least. "Come on. We still have to get through the haunted house before we get to the party."

Roxas stubbed out the smoke and followed after him, feeling glum. Tonight was supposed to fun, and now he felt like shit. He shoved his hands in the pocket of the stupid cat onesie, kicking a pebble along the driveway.

He didn't react to the haunted house at all. Sora had tossed in a few new jump-scares, but they did nothing to shift his mood. Axel was spooked a few times, but Roxas couldn't even laugh at him.

When they finally got to the party, he tucked himself in a dark corner with a bottle of coke. Kairi came to stand beside him. She was wearing some sort of whispy white dress/lingerie thing, with her nose painted red. She was theme matching with Sora and Riku, who were together as Jack and Sally.

"You need to break up with my sister," she said as the music shifted to something a little louder that could break up their conversation.

He frowned at her in confusion. "You're the one who told me to ask her out in the first place!" he protested.

"Yeah," she said. "I don't know. I guess I thought you'd be different with her." She sighed, sipping from her cooler. "Like maybe you'd help her relax a little, and she'd settle you down. Opposites are supposed to attract."

"We're going fine," he argued. "So Axel upset her. It's not my fault."

Kairi sighed and shook her head. "You're not who she wants you to be, Roxas. And you'd hate being who she expects."

"You're not making any sense, Kairi," he replied, setting down his empty bottle. "I'm going to go find my _girlfriend_ and enjoy the party."

She sighed and didn't stop him.

He found Naminé sitting with Selphie and Olette, and settled into the couch beside her. "Hey, enjoying the party."

"Yeah," she said, giving him a tired smile.

"Ooh, that reminds me!" Olette said. "Naminé, you're giving Roxas a free pass tonight, aren't you? So he can have fun at the after party?"

"Free pass?" She echoed, confused. She glanced at Roxas, suspicious. "What's that?"

He cleared his throat. "It's when people in a committed relationship give each other permission to have sex with other people for like a night or a weekend. No consequences."

Her face became pinched, but Selphie, more than a little drunk at this stage, sprawled over Olette's lap to get closer to her. "Come on, Naminé pleeeease," she whined. "Roxas has been the crankiest little shit since you two went exclusive. Let him get laid and we'll all be way happier for it!"

She stood up. "What, he's not _satisfied_ with me because I'm such a _frigid bitch_?" She snapped at the girl.

"Nam, that's not what she said…" Roxas reassured her. "Calm down."

"Don't _tell me_ to calm down!" she replied. "Do whatever you **want** tonight, Roxas! Nothing is stopping you!" She stormed off, going to talk to Kairi. The older sister did not look impressed being interrupted while flirting with Tidus.

Before Roxas could say anything to the girls, a flash of bright, fiery colour in the corner of his eye caught attention. He turned to look and stared.

Axel was dressed in his costume. It was less Halloween, and more Carnevale. Long boots cupped his feet and calves, settling just above his knees. A strip of long pale thigh travelled up until the skin was covered in tiny booty shorts. His stomach and chest were enclosed in a sparkling corset - his shoulders and neck ringed in an enormous feather ruffle, his plumage of sequins and feathers sticking up an extra metre taller than his already intimidating height.

Someone wolf-whistled. Axel turned and winked in the direction of the noise. Roxas stood, knees feeling oddly numb, and crossed to his best friend. "Carnevale Phoenix?"

"You know me so well, Rox." He grinned, preening like a very proud peacock.

 _Don't think the word cock._

"So, uh. I have to have Naminé home by 10:30. Can I take your car?" He asked carefully.

"Mm," Axel said. "You know they'll probably be starting the _afterparty_ by then. I can drive her home."

Roxas gave him a look. "I'll come with you," he whispered. Naminé had given him a free pass for the night, after all. "Your uncle's still out of town, right?"


	14. Chapter 14

"You **slept** with **Axel**?" Naminé shouted, throwing a textbook from her schoolbag at Roxas.

He ducked. "Nam! Stop freaking out!"

"Stop freaking out?" She yelled, throwing a notebook this time. "You fucking cheated on me!" She whirled on Axel, shoving him roughly. "And you! How **could** you? You knew we were together!"

"He said you gave him a Free Pass!" the redhead said, holding his hands up defensively. "Don't take it out on me!"

She tossed a few items from her bag at the taller teen. "Why would you fuck someone who has a girlfriend, you fucking asshole?"

"It's not like we fucked!" Roxas argued. "It was only a blowjob! Chill out!"

" _Chill out_?" She screeched, furious. Why did girls' voices always have to get that shrill and unpleasant when they were mad? "You two-timing fuck boy!"

"You said I had a Free Pass!" Roxas said, ducking another textbook that came his way. "Can you please stop _throwing things_?"

Her school bag was empty, but she threw the bag itself at him. "I did not say that!"

"You said I could do whatever I wanted last night!" he argued.

Kairi, Olette and Selphie, who were part of the unfortunate audience on the audience, hissed through their teeth.

"What?" He asked, glancing at them as Naminé picked up another book to throw.

"It's all about the _tone_ she used, Roxas," Olette explained. "But usually when a girl says 'do whatever you want' she means _don't fucking do it_."

"How the fuck am I supposed to know that?" He yelled at them, before his chest was pelted with his girlfriend's make-up bag again. "Naminé!" he snapped. "Stop _throwing_ things!"

"You're such a clueless, heartless asshole, Roxas!" she shouted. Oh fuck, now she was crying again. "You never care about what _I_ want, or how _I feel_ about anything!"

"Nam, I didn't think…"

"No! You didn't!" she snapped. Her shoulders shook and she gave a low sob. Oh god, not crying. What was he supposed to do now she was _crying_?

"Naminé," Axel said, carefully approaching her. "It was just a misunderstand. Roxas just—"

Faster than his eye could follow, Naminé whipped around and slapped Axel across the face. Whether it was the angle, or how hard it was, Roxas didn't know. But Axel stumbled back, holding a bloody, split lip.

"I hope you two heartless bastards are happy together!" she snarled. "You fucking deserve each other!" She turned and stomped away.

Kairi sighed, gave Roxas a dirty look, and went after her sister. Roxas ignored all that. He headed quickly over to Axel's side, raising on his tiptoes to get a closer look. "You okay, Axel? You're bleeding."

"I'm fine," he said, taking out a handkerchief to hold against his lip. "You should be going after your girlfriend, Roxas."

"I'm pretty sure she's my _ex_ -girlfriend now," Roxas mumbled. "Let's get you to the nurse."

"I can get myself to the nurse, Roxas," Axel replied, angry for some reason.

"What?" Roxas asked, following his steps quickly, "why are _you_ mad at me too?"

"You told me she was okay with it," he snapped. "You fucking used me to cheat, now I get to feel like a piece of shit _and_ I'm the one who got slapped. How the fuck is that fair, Roxas?"

"Axel…" he replied, hurt. "You know I thought she was serious."

" _Actually_ , Roxas, I think you just told yourself she was because you were so desperate to get someone to get you off. And of course you used _me_. You use me _whenever_ you need something!"

He came to a stop, staring in disbelief at his best friend. "Axe, you know that's not true. I don't ' _use_ ' you."

He waved one hand dismissively. "Forget it, Roxas. You really _are_ clueless. I'll talk to you _later_." With that parting comment, he sped up – his long gait and speed meaning Roxas wouldn't have a chance to catch up.

Roxas was left, standing there in the middle of nothing, staring after his best friend. He'd really fucked up this time.


	15. Chapter 15

Fingers grasping the sheets, a breathy voice moaning out 'Roxas!' on the crest of ecstasy. He kissed sweaty skin and turned over, laying on the other side of the bed.

"Mm." Olette turned over, giving him a content smile. "Welcome back, Roxas."

He and Naminé had been officially broken up for about two weeks. It was Friday night and Olette had invited him over to help get her place set up for their party. It hadn't been an entire lie. They'd chilled the drinks and gathered the snacks together before she'd invited him into her bed for 'rebound sex'. After so long without, he'd been more than eager.

She stood up, grabbing a fluffy bathrobe from the back of the door. "Well. Nap if you want. I'm going to shower and start getting ready for the night."

"The party's not for two hours," he pointed out, propping himself up on one elbow.

"Oh Roxas," she said, amused. She patted his cheek. "You should date boys from now on. You clearly don't understand girls at all."

He huffed and lay back down, closing his eyes. Why did everyone think he was so clueless about dating stuff? A few minutes later he heard the shower turn on. He took a deep breath.

Olette's room smelled like coconut oil and some sort of beachy smell he couldn't put a name to. As he drifted towards a brief power-nap, he had the brief idea of getting one of Axel's smoke blends. It felt weird not to enjoy the smell after sex.

When Olette woke him, the sun was setting. She was dressed for the party and he couldn't honestly see any difference from the school day except her clothes. Girls were weird. "Hey. You should probably shower before everyone gets here. You stink."

He pulled a face at her but obediently went to use her shower. Her body wash was all fruity and weird, but did its job.

By the time he got downstairs, a bunch of their friends were already there. "Hey!" They greeted, holding up drinks to toast him. "Welcome back to the fold, Roxas!"

He sat down, leaving the space next to him clear out of habit. He took the bottle of root beer offered to him, cracking it open and taking a sip.

"Axel is running late," Tidus explained, gesturing to the place next to him. "He had another meeting with the principal."

Roxas frowned. Another one? The old bag was way too interested in Axel this year.

They played Truth or Dare as the others trickled in.

After they were into the game, almost everyone there, when Roxas chose a dare.

" _Welllll_ ," Selphie said, grinning. "Since you're back in the fold now. I dare you...before midnight, to give oral to the next person who comes through the door."

"Deal," he declared. "How do you want your proof?" He asked.

"Depends," she replied. "If they want, you can put on a show," she said, grinning slyly. "If not, you can have them text me."

He nodded smugly. He had no issue with that. He sat back, keeping an eye on the door as the game went on. The door opened and he sat up a bit…

And then gagged. "Uh-uh."

Sora closed the door behind him. "You don't seem happy to see me, Roxas," he replied, raising his eyebrows.

"Dare," he explained. "Blowjobs."

"Ew!" Sora agreed. "Cousin clause!" At any point, the two of them could invoke the cousin clause. Any dare or spin of the bottle or whatever that would end up with them two doing something would be redirected to the next person.

Selphie nodded. "Alright, the next person who comes in the door _after_ Sora."

His cousin settled down next to Kairi, giving her a quick kiss as he took out his phone. "Truth," he said, and put the phone away after a text.

The game went on.

Ten minutes later, the door opened again. " _Fine_ , I'll go in. What the hell are you planning, anyway Riku?"

Ah. He glanced at Selphie.

Axel was a bit of a hard case. He was the least experienced out of their group, and sometimes he had a clause of his own.

"Axel," Selphie called, as he entered the room a few steps before Riku. "Can Roxas suck your dick?"

The redhead came to a stop, eyebrows twitching up in surprise. He stared at her for a moment, then looked around the group. "Truth or Dare?" He guessed.

"Blowjob," Roxas confirmed.

Axel considered it for a moment. "Yeah. Okay. Pass me a coke." He settled down in the circle next to Roxas.

"Do we get to watch?" She asked, looking them over.

"Is that part of the dare?" Axel asked, taking his bottle from Tidus.

"No," Roxas explained softly. "We can go somewhere private if you prefer."

Axel glanced around the room. Sora pulled a face at him. "I'd rather not force your cousin to watch you suck me off." He got to his feet. "Where've you got put aside for seven minutes in heaven?"

"Aww. Axel, it's your first time getting someone's mouth on your dick. You can have the guest room." Olette smiled and waved them off.

Roxas followed Axel out, up the stairs and into the guest bedroom. He didn't bother to turn the lights on, and Axel crossed to the bedside table and began lighting the few candles that were there.

"Axe," he said gently. "If you don't want to do this…"

The redhead snorted and unbuckled his belt, relaxing back on the bed. "You think I'm gonna say no to one of your blowjobs, Roxas? Riku says they're what turned him gay."

"I know. But it's your first blowjob." Axel sighed and he squinted at him. "It _is_ your first, right?"

"Yeah," the redhead sighed. "But it doesn't mean you have to turn it into a _thing_."

Roxas looked at him from across the room. "Can we turn it into a thing? Your firsts are important."

Axel looked up at him. "I'll never understand you, will I Rox?" He asked. "Do you care about sex or not?"

He huffed. "Of course I care!" He came over to sit next to him. "I mean…" He scratched at his cheek as he thought. "I don't know, Axe. Sometimes you know it doesn't mean anything. If you and the other person are experienced and just in it for pleasure. Then it doesn't mean anything than what it is."

"...but?" Axel asked. "What, cause I'm a virgin with half this shit, means I don't get to do it?"

"I'm still gonna blow you, Axe," Roxas said, rolling his eyes. "Holy fuck do I want to do that. I just want it to be…" He sighed and ducked his head. "Romantic."

"I know, I know," Axel said before he'd quite finished, waving a hand about. "Meaningful. I got you." He sighed. "Fine. How are you planning on doing this then?"

Roxas gently guided his shoulders so he was lying down on the bed. "Just let me take care of the details. You lay back and enjoy."


	16. Chapter 16

"So," Axel drawled, looking around at everyone. "What's everybody doing for winter break?"

The group launched into conversation and, satisfied he'd killed the lull in talking, Axel lit up another smoke. He listened impassively to the talks of Yule, Chanukah, Christmas and various non-religious wintertime family get-togethers.

Roxas noticed that look on his face. He ran his fingers through the hair of his crown. "Hey. Riku's coming to ours this Christmas. Sorry to steal him."

Axel, whose entire body had relaxed at the soothing motion against his scalp, made a vague "hm?" of acknowledgement.

"You usually spend those days with Riku at his place, right?" He reminded the redhead.

He got another 'hm' in response, but this time the purple-lined eyes opened to look up at him.

"You know Dad always tells me to bring you over for Christmas," he continued. "I know you don't celebrate, but I'm inviting you to spend time with us anyway."

"Rox," Axel said, sitting up a little. "You don't have to invite me just because you feel sorry for me."

"That's not what it's about at all," Roxas replied, rolling his eyes at his best friend. "I'd like it if you came over." He continued to run his fingers through the sensitive spikes of hair at Axel's crown.

The redhead heaved a sigh, smoke curling out of his nostrils like a dragon. The scent of peppermint teased at Roxas's senses. He was in the seasonal blend already.

He licked at his lips. The flavour always reminded him of the season. Peppermint candy canes and yule logs burning on an open fire. He leaned closer to inhale the smoke with a happy hum.

"Are you two going to make out at school?" Came a very familiar voice.

Roxas looked up to see Naminé approaching their little group. He frowned at her. "It's none of your business if we are."

She rolled her eyes and started handing out candy canes to everyone. "It's about time. Everyone can tell you two are head over heels for each other." She handed one each to Roxas and Axel. "Even when you were dating me."

"Go away, Naminé," Axel grumbled. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Suit yourself." She handed out the rest of the candy canes. "Merry Christmas, everyone. I'll see you at New Years."

"Does that mean you're hosting again, Kairi?" Riku asked, glancing up at her from her lap.

"Mm. Yeah. Dad finally relented – as long as it doesn't turn into an open house again." She was unwrapping the candy cane her siser had given her. "I've still got to book a DJ though. If there's one available at this short notice."

"Actually, Kairi," Axel piped up, stubbing out his smoke. "I might have an idea for that. Let's talk tonight before the party."

"Oh?" She asked, smiling. "I'm intrigued. Pick me up and we'll chat about it while you drive me to Sora's."

Roxas glanced between them suspiciously, and only settled once Axel was back in his lap, lighting up another smoke. He ran his fingers through Axel's hair, feeling the muscles in his face relax out of their scowl.


	17. Chapter 17

"Happy new year!" Kairi said, opening the door. She pecked Roxas on the cheek, then rose on her tip-toes for Axel to bend down for his kiss. "There's drinks for you both in the icebox."

Axel presented her with a champagne bottle. Roxas didn't want to know where he'd gotten from. "Happy new year, Kairi. The stage set up already?"

"It's out the back over the pool." She patted his arm. "Don't worry so much. Ooh, champagne." She took it and went to set it on ice.

Roxas grabbed on to Axel's sleeve so they wouldn't get separated. There were a lot of people here tonight – most of the senior class, and some of Naminé's friends who seemed to think themselves extra cool for being invited to a seniors' party.

Axel quickly found their way to their usual group. They were occupying a comfortable sitting room, the doorway concealed by a beaded curtain. The floor was littered with a series of comfortable cushions and bean bags.

Roxas cringed away as soon as he saw what was going on the room. "Ew! Sora!"

There was a muffled response, and Roxas gagged until Axel reached over and covered his eyes with a hand. The redhead led them to a space on the floor that blocked the sights of his cousin and Riku busy in the corner. They sat between a very happy Pence-Olette-Hayner sandwich and a Wakka who was watching Selphie and Tidus with interest, his free hand nursing a bottle of cheap Passion Pop.

"You're all starting early tonight," Axel commented idly, reaching into the icebox to grab a couple bottles of coke for them.

"Hey Axel," Olette said, freeing her mouth from Pence's, and nudging Hayner to take her place. "Happy new year. How was Christmas at the Strife/Leonheart's place?" She asked.

"Crowded," Axel replied, over the sound of Riku moaning out Sora's name in ecstasy. Roxas gagged again and grabbed Axel's hand to cover his eyes again.

"Did you have a nice time th-oooooooh," she broke off her conversation, returning her attention to the two guys were busy trying to get her focus back.

"Yeah," Axel replied, even though Roxas doubted he thought she was still listening. "It wasn't bad. Cheesy Christmas carols aside."

"I love Christmas carols," Sora said, coming back to join the circle. A very satisfied-looking Riku followed him.

"There's nothing you _don't_ like about Christmas," Roxas pointed out.

"Our dads getting drunk and dancing to seventies music?" Sora ventured, sitting happily in Riku's lap. He sat so close, Roxas had to shift onto Axel's knee to have any distance.

"Yeah," Axel said, shifting his leg so they could both be more comfortable. One hand came around to cup his thigh and ass to keep him steady. "That was just weird."

"Don't remind me," Roxas mumbled, watching with interest as Selphie switched to a new, very flexible position and beckoned Wakka over to join them. "Did she get a new book of positions?"

"Mm. I think so," Riku said, thoughtfully. He tilted his head in a sort of detached curiosity. "Is she going to take both?"

"Nah, she's… oh, well _that_ I didn't expect." Sora tilted his head the same way as Riku. "Remind me to bring this up next time we play Never Have I Ever."

"Will do."

The curtains pushed aside and Kairi stuck her head in. "Hey, Axel. They're here. You coming?"

"Not yet he's not!" the group called – or at least those whose mouths weren't currently occupied.

"Pervs!" Kairi laughed fondly. "Are you coming out to greet them, though?"

"Yeah." He tapped Roxas's thigh with his fingers. "Hop off, Rox. Important people to see, things to do."

"Where are you going?" Roxas asked, suspiciously, shifting off his leg as Axel stood.

"Help the band set up," he replied. "You can come with, if you want."

Roxas glanced aside at Riku and Sora who were making out again and pulled a face. "Yeah. I'll go with you." The last thing he wanted was to be around Sora having sex and have his balls crawl up into his body in disgust. And if he got to spend more time with Axel, that was just a nice bonus.

He used Axel's arm to pull himself up to his feet. "Yeah. Okay. Let's go."

They headed out to the back courtyard. The elegant pool, which had a working waterfall in the summer, was covered in glass, a wooden stage with amps, microphones and a drum-set ready on the stage.

And then he froze when he heard a familiar voice.

"Axel!"

He turned around to see Emyd Shirabe hurrying towards them. There was a guitar case on his back, and Ienzo trailing along behind him with his bass.

"Oh, my god," one of the Junior students whispered. "Is that _Watery Illusion_? How did Kairi score _them_ for a High School Party?"

Axel was wrapping the blond guitarist in a loose hug. "Hey, Dem. How's it going?"

"It's all good, man. Oh, hey! Roxas!" Emyd nudged Axel aside to wrap the smaller blond in a hug too. Roxas froze in his grip, not sure how to react.

Why were these guys _here_? I mean, obviously, they were here to play for the party, but Kairi didn't even _like_ Watery Illusion. Has Axel called in another one of his ' _favours_ '?

"Kairi, this is Emyd Shirabe, and Ienzo Sakushi," Axel introduced. "Aeleus is parking the van – he's the drummer."

"Nice to meet you," she said to them both, smiling. "We spoke on the phone about the venue."

Emyd waved a hand lazily. "Don't be so formal. We're here for fun, not work."

Ienzo rolled his eyes. "Dem, when do you _ever_ do any work?" He moved past them all to set up the stage.

"I'll go help him find the right plugs," Axel said. He petted Roxas's arm and moved off after Ienzo. Leaving Roxas alone with Emyd. Ew.

"Sooo," the musician in question said, linking his arm through Roxas's. "Are you and Axel an item yet? It's been months and he hasn't stopped talking about you."

Roxas felt his temper boil. "He's been in contact?"

"Well, yeah," he replied. "We usually skype once a week or so."

Bastard. He didn't know if he was angrier at Axel or Emyd. "Then you'd know we're not an item. He's more likely to be an item with _you_ than me."

"Well, I'll run it by Ienzo, but he's a pretty possessive boyfriend," Emyd laughed.

"But he was okay with Axel sucking your dick."

"You salty about that?" He asked, surprised. "He said you had a girlfriend you were being exclusive with."

"Axel is my _best friend_. I don't want him to throw all his first times away on _nobody_."

Emyd snorted. "Wow. Ienzo was right. You really _are_ possessive." He ran his fingers through his hair, fixing his mullet back into its usual style. "Look. Axel and I grew up together in Radiant Garden. I'm not nobody – but I don't mean as much to him as you do." He reached over to ruffle Roxas's hair. "Nobody does."

He strode away, leaving Roxas angry and confused behind him.


	18. Chapter 18

The darkness of the room flared out at the soft snick of Axel's lighter. The air was dense, and the smoke lingered above their heads on the pillow. The blend was rosewood and toasted cacao leaves, and Roxas could taste it on his lips twisted up with sweat and come and flavoured lube.

"Give us a draw," Riku said, leaning over Roxas's body to steal the cigarette from the lanky redhead.

"Ew," Roxas said. "Don't tell me Sora is on the other side of you right now," he complained.

"Nah, he's on the other side of the room," Riku replied. "Wakka wanted to make a Kairi sandwich." He handed the smoke back to Axel and settled down on the pillow. There was still heart-shaped confetti in his hair.

"Another nice Valentine's Day orgy," Olette murmured with sleepy satisfaction on the other side of Axel.

Axel dropped the butt of his smoke in a nearby beer bottle and got up with a stretch. He tugged his underwear up from his thighs. "Gotta piss."

Roxas watched him go, giving a smug grin at the bite mark on his hip just above the waistband of his briefs. He'd put that there. And now everyone could see it.

"So," Riku said quietly, watching Sora stir awake on the other side of the room. "You hogged Axel again last night."

"What are you talking about?" Roxas asked, and wow he sounded way too defensive.

"I mean," Riku said carefully, "that this is the fourth party in a row that you were with Axel so often nobody could get in on that."

"You're exaggerating. I blew you last night, what are you complaining for?" He grumbled.

"Yeah, while Axel was getting water. And then once you were done with me, you had to go over and make sure that Olette didn't get her hands on him." Riku shrugged. "Everyone's noticed, everyone," he pointed out, "just saying. If you two are exclusive, then you should probably tell the group."

"We're not exclusive," Roxas muttered as Axel came back, carrying a bowl of chips and dip. "Axe, do you think I'm cockblocking you at our group nights?" He asked.

The redhead raised an eyebrow as he sat down, crunching his jalapeño salsa. "Haven't noticed," he replied calmly. "Did someone want to screw around before?"

"Never mind," Riku said, rolling his eyes. He got up and went to sit with Kairi and Sora.

"What was that about?" Axel asked, flicking out a fresh smoke. He caught it between his teeth and gave Roxas a familiar whine that meant 'light it for me, Roxas, my hands are full'.

Roxas picked up the lighter, flicked open the lid with a thumb and then rubbing the flint until the flame burned to life. He moved it up to light the end of the smoke. "Riku says I'm hogging you at all the orgies," he replied. "I had no idea what he was talking about either."

"Nm," Axel drew in a lungful of smoke. "Should we find a bed for the night?"

"You wanna drive me home?" Roxas asked instead. "Tidus's dad always makes us clean the house before we're allowed breakfast."

Axel shuddered and stood. "Yeah. Fuck that noise." He took the smoke out of his lips. "Riku, Sora. We're bouncing. You need a lift?"

Sora waved him off, curled happily between his boyfriend and girlfriend. "Go away. I'm comfy."

Roxas snickered and found his clothes, wriggling into them and bidding everyone goodbye before he followed Axel out of the house.

"I'll never understand those three," Axel said, rolling his eyes. "Kairi is straight and Riku is gay. How exactly do they _share_?"

"I don't know if they ever have a threesome," Roxas said, "and I don't ever want to think about it. What they have makes them happy. No one can argue with that."

"Yeah." Axel was pensive as he drove towards his uncle's place, rather than towards the Strife-Leonheart house. "That's the important thing," he said eventually, as he parked in the undercover area. "Whatever the relationship is between people, as long as it's all consensual and it makes them happy – then it's fine, right?"

"Yeah." Roxas glanced at him. There was something weird in his best friend's tone of voice, he couldn't figure it out.

"Come on. Let's go to bed. I'm wiped."

Roxas shook his head and followed him up to bed.


	19. Chapter 19

The black scrap of fabric bound tightly around Axel's eyes contrasted beautifully with his ghost-pale skin and the fiery red of his hair. His deep voice was breathy as he pressed into the hands roving down his bare chest.

Roxas could remember when he was a total virgin – pure as driven snow, the only hands to touch him were his own on his dick. Sitting on the edge of the room, one hand hidden inside his boxers as his eyes followed the sexual displays around the room.

Roxas had been the one to lead him into their world, both literally and symbolically. Making out at their parties, grinding their dicks together until they both came, at least to begin with. He'd been the first other hand Axel had ever felt on his dick, murmuring exactly how _good_ it felt to do what was in front of their eyes. He'd taught him how to finger himself, made sure Axel knew just how good his thin, dextrous digits felt against the redhead's enviously sensitive prostate. Emyd fucking Shirabe may have been the first person to ever get a blowjob from Axel, but Roxas made damn sure he was the first person to introduce him to how good it felt to be on the receiving end.

In a way, Axel was _his_. And that was the way it was meant to be.

Axel arched his long, slender body, crying out in wordless pleasure as he came. Roxas huffed air out through his nostrils, straining against the handcuffs holding him down. Next to him, Sora glanced at him and gave an amused snort.

Fuck this dare. At least the cuffs were fluffy – they didn't hurt too much against his struggles.

Across the room, multiple sets of hands and lips and tongues pulled back, the girls letting Axel come down from his orgasm.

"You know, Rox," Sora said idly, "I'm not sure whether you're actually enjoying this or not."

Neither was he. Sure, he was turned on – that was a given. But he was here, silenced and restrained, watching their friends give Axel one pleasure after another. Axel had set his rules – no anal penetration using dicks or sex aids, no biting or scratching, and his dick didn't go into anything other than a mouth. Of course, their friends followed his rules – but they were _innovative_.

Once Axel gave a little nod, and gasped that he was ready to go again – teenage refraction period was the blessing of their youth – their friends went back to action. Olette had _ice cubes_ ready – poor Axel.

Although by the sound of it, Axel was particularly enjoying that sensation play.

He tugged against the cuffs again, this time wanting his hands free so he could stroke himself, watching pleasure bloom over Axel's skin in a blotchy red flush. He's gorgeous, and Roxas can't blame everyone for wanting to make him like this.

He's so focused on what Olette and Selphie are doing with the ice cubes, that he doesn't keep an eye on what Kairi is doing. Doesn't notice until Axel gasps out, surprised: "What are you doing with your—ah!"

Kairi was between his spread legs, holding them apart. But her mouth was too far down to be giving a blowjob.

An angry, outraged shout was muffled behind Roxas's gag. The handcuffs rattled loudly against the chair he was stuck too.

"Roxas," Sora said soothingly.

"Stop, stop," Axel said, reaching to cover his blushing face.

The girls moved away with slight giggles. Axel moved to undo the blindfold around his eyes.

Roxas rattled the handcuffs again, grunting in protest.

"Sora, let him go," Riku said quietly.

"He's supposed to have ten more minutes cuffed!" Hayner protested.

"Let him out." Riku repeated.

Sora didn't question, unlatching the cuffs without a word. Roxas was up and striding to Axel as soon as he was free. He grabbed the redhead's skinny arm and dragged him outside.

"Rox, it's okay," Axel was saying. When they reached Kairi's bedroom, long fingers reached up and unbuckled the gag, sliding the rubber ball out from behind his teeth. "You okay?"

The blond shoved Axel down on the bed, pressing their lips together frantically. He groaned and wrapped his arms around the smaller frame, pulling him close.

Roxas and Axel had a tacit agreement. Roxas was his first. For all the new things he tried. So, he took what Kairi had tried to cheat him out of.

Turned out Axel _really_ liked rim jobs.


	20. Chapter 20

"So, Roxas will we be seeing you tonight?" Olette asked, the both of them packing up their lockers for the weekend.

"Why wouldn't you?" He asked, confused.

"I mean, Axel isn't coming tonight," she replied easily, "so we weren't sure if you would or not."

He frowned. "What? What do you mean Axel isn't going?" He'd said he was at lunchtime. He'd been excited about Strip-Twister!

"That's just what he said," she replied. "After History. When he came out of the classroom he said he wasn't going to make it tonight."

He clenched his jaw. Had she said something to make him feel unwelcome? Hayner and Axel never got along particularly well.

"I don't know," he answered the first question. "I'll go over and see what's up with Axel first. Depends how that goes."

It was Friday so Axel had probably played hooky for his last class of the afternoon - a study period anyway - and gone home. He hurried to catch up with Sorikai so he could get a lift home with them. He headed home long enough to ditch his books and change out of his uniform. Then he grabbed the tram and hung on until he got to Axel's neighbourhood.

The door wasn't locked, and he let himself in. He could hear Axel's uncle in the other bedroom, angrily speaking on the phone so he kept quiet as he slipped into Axel's bedroom.

The air hit him like a wall, the flavour flooding through his nose and mouth. He darted his tongue out, tasting the air. Sandalwood and vanilla? That was Axel's stress blend, and judging by the saturation of the room, he'd been stress-smoking the hell out of them.

"You okay Axe?" He asked, as he went over to throw open the windows and get some oxygen in the room.

He only got a grunt in acknowledgement as Axel stubbed out another smoke butt. "Fucking peachy." He was at his desk, surrounded with history books and class notes.

"What's up?" He asked. Axel was _studying_. Axel didn't _study_.

He only got an annoyed sigh in response, the redhead turning the page he was reading.

"I mean, the apocalypse is coming - Axel studying rather than coming to a party, that's like the four horsemen," he joked.

"Roxas," Axel interrupted him shortly. "I don't care if you stay, but I need to concentrate. I need to know every stupid detail about The Battle For Quay Blaid by Monday."

Roxas frowned, standing by the window. "I thought your test was on Wednesday."

"It _was_ ," he grumbled. "I bombed it completely. Dr Sid is letting me resit it."

"You never care about failing," Roxas said, giving him a confused frown.

He sighed tersely, and lit up another smoke. "I need to," he replied icily. "If I don't pass this test, I fail the class. And if I fail, I don't get to _graduate_." He inhaled and spoke again, smoke spilling from his mouth and nostrils like a dragon. "So I don't care if you stay, but I **have** to study."

Roxas looked at his best friend a long moment. He knew Axel didn't care about school work, but he hadn't realised it had gotten this bad. All the meetings with the principal, no wonder he was agitated.

Roxas sat on the bed. "Pass me the textbook. My quiz is on Tuesday."


	21. Chapter 21

Roxas watched the smoke drift up towards the ceiling, curling in an ephemeral dance he couldn't begin to predict. The smell of cinnamon and ash bark did little to cover up the smell of sex. Really, really satisfying sex.

He shifted his gaze - away from the smoke to the satisfied face of his lover. Axel's eyeliner was smudged to hell, his hair a mess of flattened spikes and squashed clumps. Roxas had never found him more beautiful. Sculpted lips stained pink from kissing closed around the butt of his smoke. His lips pursed, his cheeks hollowed out he drew in a lungful of smoke.

Roxas practically pounced. As soon as the white paper tube was away from Axel's face, he slammed their lips together. Their kiss was deep and intense, smoke trapped between their mouths, teased back and forth by their tongues. When they parted, Roxas exhaled the flavoured smoke through his nostrils and grinned down at his best friend. "Well?"

The redhead hummed, taking another drag. "I thought I'd feel different," he admitted. The smoke gusted out with his words, and then he exhaled the rest.

Roxas traced his fingers over Axel's bare chest, down to the ginger-red trail of hair creeping down from his belly button. "Nothing at all?"

The redhead inhaled a bit, his stomach sinking beneath the blond's touch. "I don't know. Not really." He looked down at him, and jade-green eyes were soft and affectionate. "I feel closer to you, which is nice. But I don't feel _changed_."

"Nn," Roxas agreed, hands finding more sensitive places to explore. "My first wasn't a big deal either," he commented, "but that's okay." He took the smoke out of Axel's hand, stole a draw, then stubbed it out in the glass ashtray. "This was way more important to me anyway."

He didn't let him answer, moving close and taking his mouth.

It was ten minutes before Axel could light up another smoke - which was frankly _impressive_ considering it was his first time topping. Sated and sleepy, Roxas curled up into his side, looking up at his face with half-lidded eyes.

"Hey, Axe…?"

"Yeah, Rox?" Those green, green eyes locked on his, and there was a warm affection in his gaze. it was a familiar look, and filled Roxas's belly with a flutter of nervous butterflies. "Roxas? What is it?"

He felt his cheeks heat with a blush, and turned his head down so he didn't have to see his best friend's expression as he spoke. "So… uh. Now that I've introduced you to the wonderful world of penetrative sex, of course you're welcome to have it with whoever you like…"

Axel snorted a little. "Thanks for your permission."

"Shut up," he said, embarrassed. "Let me talk will you?"

Axel rested his chin on the top of Roxas's head. "Go on then," he said, a smirk obvious by the sound of his voice.

"I'd prefer it if you only had sex within our friend group," he mumbled. "See, one of these days I'm going to buck up enough courage to ask you to be my boyfriend. I'm okay with sharing you with our friends, but I think I'd get way too jealous if you went with anyone you set your eye on."

"Rox." Axel's voice was soft, like he was trying not to upset him. "Look at me?"

He raised his head reluctantly, meeting his gaze. He'd expected an awkwardness, but there was only something like joy.

"I don't want to fuck anyone else," the redhead replied, hand gently clasping the back of his head. "Just you." He pressed a kiss to Roxas's bruised lips. "And when you do get that courage, I'm going to say yes - by the way."

Face flushed, Roxas ducked his head again and squeezed his eyes shut. "That's good to know."

Chuckling, Axel kissed the top of his head. He stubbed out his smoke and settled comfortably down in the bed to sleep.


End file.
